Feed prices effecting Vietnamese farmers

Rising feed prices have forced a significant number of catfish, shrimp and livestock breeders in the southern region of Vietnam to give up their occupations.

Farmers who raise pigs and chickens are suffering losses because of the rise in animal feed prices that changed five times last month. Pig farmers face the same situation of rising production costs and falling prices for pork.

Livestock farmers said 100kg of pig fetched VND4.2 million ($23.6) in April, but since early May, the price had fallen to VND3.7 million ($20.80).

Production costs exceed kg prices of saleable chicken. Many chicken breeders would stop their business if this trend of rising feed prices and falling chicken prices in the market continued.

Experts noted that while livestock breeders had expanded production over last year by 15–20%, the area for catfish and shrimp breeding in the Mekong delta had reduced sharply by half.